Connection for electrical conductors



z m, My w WWW M M 2 WE A WICHERT CONNECTION FOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS Filed Jan. 27, 1927 Nov. 27, 1928.

Patented N v.; 27, 1928.

UNITED-fsTA ns PATENT OFFICE".

arirnnn wrcnnnr, or MAn'nHErm-Nnuosrnnm, GERMAN AssIGnon' TOIAKTIEN- ensELLso Arr BROWN, 'novnnr &, 0111.,012 BADEN, SWITZERLAND, A JOINT-swoon COMPANY. I

oonnn'o'rron Eon ELECTRICAL oonnnorons.

' A pplieation filed January 27,1927,1Ser1a1 No. 164,057, and in Germany Februaryti, 1926.

This invention relates to couplings for elec- 1 trical conductors, such as composite conducutors made up of'a plurality of laminations or similar component elements.

5 The general object of the invention is the provision of a coupling which willprovide I a good mechanicaland electrical connect on for such conductors, whlch maybe eas1ly1nstalled, and which will facilitate the disconconnected members when de-- I 1 nection of the sired. v

' A specific object ofthe invention is the provision of such a coupling which may be utilized and installed with facility in positionswhere space is limited. t I Another specific object is the provision of i such a coupling which eliminates necessity for any special shapingorpiercing oifthe conductors as a prerequisite to its applica tion, and which provides liberal allowance for variation in the relative positioningot the connected members in the making of the connection.

tion of the soii't 'desc'ribe'd"which affords a desirable adjustability of the connected eon ductors for accommodation of thermal contraction and. expansionfor other shifting,

' nected conductors in the desired operative-relationship and-in proper relationship to associated elements. i I

Yet another object is the provision of a efiective to form agood mechanical and elec trical connection irrespective of variations in thedimensions of the connected elements of the conductors. v f.

Other and further objects and advantages will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or will appear to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the invention or itsemployment in practice.

In'the drawing forming a part of this specification, I show, for purpose'of exemplification,-two-structural embodiments of the invention, but it is to'be'understood that the scope of the invention as. defined in the api pended claim is not limited to these particular embodiments or the details thereof.

In the drawing,

F ig- 1 is aside elevational view, with a part 9 Yet another particularobject of the inven tion the provision of a'couphng or connec while maintaining the coupling and the concoupling ofthe sort specified which will be the ends of the elements 12*.

in section, o-fa joint connection of an under surface contact rail of atype employed in electrical railway systems;

Fig.2 is a cross section, on a larger scale,

such as taken on approximately line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and t .Fig- 3 is a detail in the nature of a longi-; tudinal section through a coupling of slightly modified form.

The nature of the invention may be most a contact rails of the under-surface type, such: el'nploycd for distributing current to elec-' trio railways. These rails'are mechanically connected by the plates 11, proper spacing between the rails being allowed for the ac+ commodation of thermal expansion; In

order to provide the requisite'electrical con- I :nection between the railsthus joined, it is necessary to provide somesort ofbonding,

the oint which bonding connection must also beable to accommodate limited relative adjustments of the connected rails, such as the the respective rails, said conductors being made up each of a plurality of laminations or elements 12*. A suitable flexible conductor] 14 is provided for electrically connecting the conductors 12, said connecting conductor be-' ing made up of flexible elements or la1ninations 14. The length of the connecting conductor 14 is such that its ends will overlap member 15, in the nature ofa sleeve, is suitably formed to receive, within its longitudinal passage, the ends of theconductors 14 and 12 which are arranged therein in overlapping relationship with some of the laminations of one of said conductors interposed between laminations of the other. Opposite walls of the constraining member 15 are pro vided with aligning apertures in distributed arrangement, through which wedges or ta- I pering pins 16 are driven, said pins passing between the laminations of the conductors. The arrangement of said apertures is such A constraining by way of a good electricalconductor, across ,intermeshed conductors that these wedges are in staggered relationship in the direction intersecting the over lapped laminations. The total height of the passage in the constraining member 15 is slightly in excess of the aggregate height of the overlapped laminations so that the wedges maybe received, but with a very tight binding fit. Introduction of the wedges thus compresses the laminations very tightly upon one another under the constraint o1 the member 15, and, due to the staggered relationship of the wedges, convolutes the laminations in- .to a somewhat intermeshing relationship.

This gives the laminations ot' the connected conductors a very close and extensive surface contact, conducive to good electrical conduction, and also affords a very secure mechanical connection of the conductors as their con-- volutions hold them against longitudinal withdrawal from one anoti er, and the wedges, which have anchorage in the apertures of the constraining memben retain the "from withdrawal from the latter. The wet ges are held against withdrawal by cotter pins 1?. The coupling may be disconnected quite quickly and readily, when desired, by withdrawing the cotter pins and driving out the wedges This frees the conductor laminations so that they may be withdrawn from the constraining member 15. The constraining member 15 is suitably shaped to seat on the rail, whereon it retained by the conductor 12, which is substantially iniexible transversely. The laminations 01" the conn cting conductor M may be made up of small wire woven or twisted together so as to have a limited amount 01"" compressibility.

In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3, the laminations of the conductors 12 are arranged in end-butting relationship and some of them in overlapping relationship, with the butt joints between adjacent laminations offset or mutually displaced. This arrangement vantages particularly in installations which are exposed to weather, as the. portions providing the mechanical connection are not easily all'ected by (lift/'01 water in a manner such as to render them ditlicult 0t disconnection, while the surfaces relied upon for the electrical connection are effectively protected. The invention is of particular advantage because it does not require the special shaping of the connected conductors and allows liberal latitude in their relative positionin \Vhat I claim is:

In electrical conductors, the combination with laminated conductors, of a flexible connecting conductor having component laminatiens, th end portions of the laminations of the connecting conductor being overlapped with the end portions of laminations of the other conductors, constraining members embracing the overlapped portions of said laminations, and wedges passing transversely through said constraining members between some of the overlapped laminations and clamping some of the laminations in close surface contact under constraint of the constraining members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of January, A. D. 1927, at Zurich. Switzerland.

ALFRED WICHERT. 

